Ruth Bader Ginsburg, often referred to as RBG, was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States who served from 1993 until her passing in 2020.
She was known for her strong intellect, legal expertise, and commitment to gender equality and civil rights.
Here are some characteristics of Ruth Bader Ginsburg quotes:
- Legal and Constitutional Focus: As a Supreme Court Justice, Ginsburg’s quotes often revolved around legal principles, constitutional interpretation, and the rule of law. She had a deep understanding of the U.S. Constitution and its protections, and her quotes frequently reflected her commitment to upholding the Constitution.
- Equality and Gender Rights: Ginsburg was a staunch advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. Many of her quotes highlight the importance of equal treatment under the law, fighting against gender-based discrimination, and promoting women’s empowerment. She played a significant role in advancing gender equality through her legal career and judicial decisions.
- Social Justice and Civil Rights: Ginsburg was also an advocate for broader social justice issues and civil rights. Her quotes often addressed topics such as racial equality, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, and the protection of marginalized communities. She believed in the power of the law to bring about positive change and ensure justice for all.
- Persuasive and Inspiring: Ginsburg had a talent for crafting persuasive arguments and expressing her ideas in a clear and concise manner. Her quotes often carried a sense of inspiration and motivation, encouraging individuals to stand up for their rights and work towards a more just society.
- Legacy and Longevity: Ginsburg’s quotes reflect her deep understanding of the law and her commitment to leaving a lasting impact. Many of her statements emphasized the importance of her role as a Supreme Court Justice and the responsibility to protect and preserve the principles of justice and equality for future generations.
Overall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s quotes embody her dedication to equality, justice, and the law.
Her words continue to resonate with people who strive for a more inclusive and fair society.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes
Here are some quotes from Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
- “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
- “I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.”
- “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
- “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
- “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.”
- “Dissents speak to a future age. It’s not simply to say, ‘My colleagues are wrong and I would do it this way.’ But the greatest dissents do become court opinions.”
- “A gender line… helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage.”
- “The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.”
- “Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
- “In every good marriage, it helps sometimes to be a little deaf.”
- “We should not be held back from pursuing our full talents, from contributing what we could contribute to the society, because we fit into a certain mold ― because we belong to a group that historically has been the object of discrimination.”
- “People ask me sometimes… ‘When will there be enough women on the court?’ And my answer is: ‘When there are nine.'”
- “If you’re going to change things, you have to be with the people who hold the levers.”
- I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.
- “The emphasis must be not on the right to abortion but on the right to privacy and reproductive control.”
- “Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”
- “You can’t have it all, all at once.”
- “Don’t be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment. These just zap energy and waste time.”
- “I just try to do the good job that I have to the best of my ability and I really don’t think about whether I’m inspirational. I just do the best I can.”
- “You can disagree without being disagreeable.”
- “I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”
- “Feminism [is the] notion that we should each be free to develop our own talents and not be held back by manmade barriers.”
- “I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court]… And I say when there are nine.”
- “Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”
- “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.”
- “Justices continue to think and can change. I am ever hopeful that if the court has a blind spot today, its eyes will be open tomorrow.”
- “The state controlling a woman would mean denying her full autonomy and full equality.”
- “I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.”
- “Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
- “I said on the equality side of it, that it is essential to a woman’s equality with man that she be the decision-maker, that her choice be controlling.”
- “The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.”
- “You can’t have it all, all at once.”
- “The demand for justice runs through the entirety of the Jewish tradition.”
- “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
- “When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out.”
- “When I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court] and I say, ‘When there are nine,’ people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.”
- “I think a law clerk told me about this tumblr and also explained to me what Notorious RBG was a parody on. And now my grandchildren love it and I try to keep abreast of the latest that’s on the tumblr.”
- “Don’t be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment. These just zap energy and waste time.”
- “A feminist is someone who believes in social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.”
- “In every good marriage, it helps sometimes to be a little deaf.”
- “Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
- “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
- “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
- “If you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it. I had a life partner who thought my work was as important as his, and I think that made all the difference for me.”
- “The greatest dissents do become court opinions and gradually over time their views become the dominant view. So that’s the dissenter’s hope: that they are writing not for today but for tomorrow.”
- “I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.”
- “I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”
- “I’m really cheered on by the increase of women who have signed on to the [legal] profession in numbers. And that means that my granddaughters’ generation will have that open road.”
- “If you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself. Something to repair tears in your community. Something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That’s what I think a meaningful life is – living not for oneself, but for one’s community.”
- “We have the oldest written constitution still in force in the world, and it starts out with three words, ‘We, the people.'”
- “So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great good fortune.”
- “I became a lawyer for selfish reasons. I thought I could do a lawyer’s job better than any other.”
- “I am ever hopeful that if the court has a blind spot today, its eyes will be open tomorrow.”
- “Dissent speaks to a future age. It’s not simply to say, ‘My colleagues are wrong and I would do it this way.’ But the greatest dissents do become court opinions.”
- “Every now and then it helps to be a little deaf… That advice has stood me in good stead.”
- “You can’t have it all, all at once.”
- “I tell law students… if you are going to be a lawyer and just practice your profession, you have a skill—very much like a plumber. But if you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself… something that makes life a little better for people less fortunate than you.”
- “I’m dejected, but only momentarily, when I can’t get the fifth vote for something I think is very important. But then you go on to the next challenge and you give it your all. You know that these important issues are not going to go away. They are going to come back again and again. There’ll be another time, another day.”
- “I’m really cheered on by the increase of women who have signed on to the profession [of law] in numbers. And that means that my granddaughters’ generation will have that open road.”
- “I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.”
Top Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes
Some of the best RBG quotes:
- “I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.”
- “We care about this institution more than our individual egos.”
- “I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”
- “You can disagree without being disagreeable.”
- “Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
- “Anger, resentment, envy. These are emotions that just sap your energy. They’re not productive and don’t get you anyplace, so get over it.”
- “Dissents speak to a future age. It’s not simply to say, ‘My colleagues are wrong and I would do it this way.’ But the greatest dissents do become court opinions and gradually over time their views become the dominant view.”
- “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Inspirational Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes
Inspirational Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes:
- “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
- “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
- “Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”
- “So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune.”
- “I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”
- “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life.”
- “Dissents speak to a future age. It’s not simply to say, ‘My colleagues are wrong, and I would do it this way.’ But the greatest dissents do become court opinions and gradually over time their views become the dominant view. So that’s the dissenter’s hope: that they are writing not for today but for tomorrow.”
- “Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
- “When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
- “You can disagree without being disagreeable.”
Short Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes
Short Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes:
- “I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.”
- “Fight for the things that you care about.”
- “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
- “I’m not a symbol. I’m an activist.”
- “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
- “Justices continue to think and can change. I am ever hopeful that if the court has a blind spot today, its eyes will be open tomorrow.”
- “I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”
- “People ask me sometimes, ‘When will there be enough women on the Supreme Court?’ And I say, ‘When there are nine.'”
- “We have the oldest written constitution still in force in the world, and it starts out with three words, ‘We, the people.'”
- “If you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself.”
Funny Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes
Funny Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes:
- “You can’t have it all, all at once.”
- “The emphasis must be not on the right to abortion but on the right to privacy and reproductive control.”
- “When contemplated in its extreme, almost any power looks dangerous.”
- “If I had any talent in the world… I would be a great diva.”
- “I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court] and I say, ‘When there are nine,’ people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.”
- “The true symbol of the United States is not the bald eagle. It is the pendulum.”
- “I would not look to the U.S. Constitution if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012.”
- “I respect all religions. I’m not a person who says I’m of one faith. I was raised as a Jew, but I’ve been involved in Zen Buddhism for a long time.”
- “I’m a very good kitchen dancer, and I like to cook.”
- “I don’t want to be remembered as the justice who was always saying, ‘This is unconstitutional, that is unconstitutional.’ I want to be remembered as someone who helped to make things a little better for people less fortunate than I am.”
Famous Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes
Famous Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes:
- “Women’s rights are an essential part of the overall human rights agenda, trained on the equal dignity and ability to live in freedom all people should enjoy.”
- “The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.”
- “The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her well-being and dignity.”
- “I would not trade places with any other person in the world.”
- “I just try to do the good job that I have to the best of my ability and I really don’t think about whether I’m inspirational. I just do the best I can.”
- “The great thing about our Constitution is that it can always be changed. The Constitution must adapt to society, not the other way around.”
- “A gender line… helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage.”
- “We should not be held back from pursuing our full talents, from contributing what we could contribute to the society because we fit into a certain mold.”
- “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life.”
- “I dissent.” (Famous phrase used in her dissenting opinions)
Deep Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes
Deep Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes:
- “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
- “Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
- “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
- “A gender line… helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage.”
- “Justices continue to think and can change. I am ever hopeful that if the court has a blind spot today, its eyes will be open tomorrow.”
- “Dissents speak to a future age. It’s not simply to say, ‘My colleagues are wrong, and I would do it this way.’ But the greatest dissents do become court opinions and gradually over time their views become the dominant view.”
- “Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”
- “I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”
- “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life.”
- “You can disagree without being disagreeable.”
Conclusion
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a remarkable individual whose words continue to inspire and resonate with people around the world.
Her quotes reflect her unwavering commitment to equality, justice, and the rule of law.
As a Supreme Court Justice, she tirelessly fought for gender equality, women’s rights, and the protection of marginalized communities.
Ginsburg’s emphasis on the power of dissent, the importance of listening and learning from others, and the need for gradual change serves as a guiding light for those striving to create a more inclusive and fair society.
Her legacy as a trailblazer, visionary, and champion of justice will forever be remembered, and her quotes will continue to inspire future generations to stand up for their rights and work towards a better future.
